THE IONIA COUNTY PEACE COMMUNITY/LA COMUNIDAD de PAZ DEL CONDADO de IONIA welcomes volunteers of all ages who are interested in events and activities that promote a Beloved Community (www.thekingcenter.org/king-philosophy) where we recognize our
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THE IONIA COUNTY PEACE COMMUNITY/LA COMUNIDAD de PAZ DEL CONDADO de IONIA welcomes volunteers of all ages who are interested in events and activities that promote a Beloved Community (www.thekingcenter.org/king-philosophy) where we recognize our interdependence and use our diversity and different gifts to enrich the whole.

For more information or to become a member, email ioniacountypeace@gmail.com, call 616-527-7163 or like us on Facebook. Visit our website at ioniacountypeacecommunity.org.

By Penny BeemanThe American Community Gardening Association (ACGA) suggests that community gardens offer a number of benefits to a community, including:• Improves the quality of life for people in the garden• Provides a catalyst for neighborhood and community development• Stimulates social interaction• Encourages self-reliance• Beautifies neighborhoods• Produces nutritious food• Reduces family food budgets• Conserves resources• Creates opportunity for recreation, exercise, therapy, and education• Reduces crime• Preserves green space• Creates income opportunities and economic development• Reduces city heat from streets and parking lots• Provides opportunities for intergenerational and cross-cultural connectionsThe ACGA says a community garden can be urban, suburban or rural. It can grow flowers, vegetables or community. It can be one community plot, or it can be many individual plots. It can be at a school, at a hospital, at a church, or in a neighborhood. It can also be a series of plots dedicated to "urban agriculture" where the produce is grown for a market.Community Food NetworkOne in six people in the U.S. don't know where their next meal is coming from. Here in our community, we are lucky enough to have the Community Food Network (CFN), a collaborative of individuals, local businesses and organizations in Ionia and Montcalm counties who are helping community gardens and food pantries work together to ensure that no one goes hungry in the two-county area. Anyone who wants to help with community gardens or distributing food to those in need are welcome to join.Fresh fruits and vegetables grown in local community gardens are distributed to families in need through local food pantries, soup kitchens, and other distribution resources. Volunteers pick up produce from the gardens, sort and package the produce into family size portions and deliver it to food pantries. Food pantries then distribute the available produce to clients who need help. Other distribution resources include the food truck run by Feeding America and local soup kitchens.In 2009, volunteers contributed more than 935 hours in community gardens and provided more than 34,155 lbs of fresh produce to local food pantries.The CFN was started in 2009 in Ionia County with seven gardens that raised produce for local food pantries. In 2010, the network increased to 12 community gardens, three of which serve as educational gardens for youth. In 2011, the Community Food Network grew to include Montcalm County and added four more community gardens to the network.The Community Food Network works with a number of organizations, including the United Way and Volunteer Connections of Montcalm-Ionia Counties, MSU Extension and its Master Gardener programs, the Ionia County Health Department and the Mid-Michigan District Health Department. The CFN is a recipient of the Volunteer Generation Fund from the Michigan Community Service Commission and Volunteer Centers of Michigan.If you live in Ionia or Montcalm County, and would like to get involved with community gardens, visit the website at www.ioniahost.com/garden for garden-specific information and other resources, or volunteer.liveunitedm-i.org for volunteer opportunities near you.Check out the CFN's new blog at communityfoodnetwork.blogspot.com. It's for anyone who wants to stay up-to-date on what is taking place with community gardens, food pantries, or other hunger issues.A community garden planning meeting will be held from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Monday, Mar. 4, at the MSU Extension Ionia Office, 50 E Sprague Rd. in Ionia. The meeting is open to existing community gardens, new community gardens, and anyone who just wants to learn more about community gardens. If you are looking for ideas, tips or tricks, please join us for this planning meeting for your chance to learn what other gardens are planning for 2013.For additional information, contact Penny Beeman at 616-755-8050 or email iccfoodnetwork@gmail.com._______________PENNY BEEMAN, a member of the Ionia County Peace Community, works with volunteers in many United Way-supported projects. As coordinator for the Ionia Kids Club, Penny reaches out to teens, giving them a chance to Do Something GREAT in their Community! Her favorite MLK quote and the Kids Club motto: "EVERYBODY can be GREAT! Because EVERYBODY can VOLUNTEER!" www.ioniakidsclub.org